Scarlet, Tristan and Nate have just realized that Gabriel and Heather are missing and their only lead is a wandering Ashman.

(Again, I know this doesn't fall into the final version of Avow, but whatever.)

***

“Shh!” Scarlet waved at Nate to
stop speaking as a shadow at the far end of the alley moved through the
moonlight.

An Ashman.

Scarlet pulled her knife back, ready to throw.

“Wait,” Tristan said, motioning for her to lower the weapon. “If we follow the Ashman he might be able to lead
us to Gabriel and Heather.”

“Ooh, good thinking,” Nate whispered.

The three of them crept up on the Ashman—who
looked a bit disoriented and lost—and stayed hidden as they started to follow
him out of the alley, across the street, and through a few neighborhoods.

Two miles later, Nate was out of
breath. “I think we gave up on the dungeon/black van idea too quickly. This is
a lot of walking. If I’d known we’d be trekking through the entire city, I
might have suggested taking the car.”

Tristan followed behind Scarlet as
she slinked through the outskirts of the parking lot. “Right. Because that
wouldn’t be obvious. Driving through alleys and parks behind a dead guy.”

Nate shrugged. “I’m just saying
this was poorly thought out. What if this Ash dude isn’t returning to Raven?
What if he’s hoofing it to Texas to watch a bull riding competition? This could
be a really long walk.”

“We’re not even to the edge of town
yet. Quit complaining.” Tristan watched Nate’s labored breathing. “And maybe
invest in a treadmill so the next time we have to track a bad guy by foot
you’re not reduced to wheezing.”

“Oh, I’m sorry Mr. I-jog-everyday-and-shoot-arrows-in-my-free-time. We can’t all be freakishly in shape and built
like gladiators.” He made a face. “And what do you mean, next time? How often do you plan on us tracking people?”

“Look,” Scarlet said, nodding to
the Ashman who had just moved down a hill and into the warehouse district at
the edge of town.

They followed after him and
crouched at the top of the hill, watching as the Ashman entered through the
backdoor of an old brick warehouse below. Three other Ashmen stood guard in
front, staring blankly at the night.

Tristan glanced at Nate. “I guess
we’re not going to Texas.”

“Shut up.”

“Do you think Gabriel and Heather
are in there?” Scarlet frowned at the large brick building.

Tristan inhaled. “Maybe. We need to get a look inside. Stay here. I’ll be
right back.” He stood and started moving down
the hill.

“Stay here?” Scarlet whispered
across the night with fight in her eyes. “Why do we have to stay here?”

“Because one person sneaking around
is less obvious than three,” Tristan whispered back.

“I am not obvious!” Nate’s whisper
was louder than the others and one of the Ashman guards looked up. He pursed his lips and quieted his next whisper. “Just kidding. Carry on.”

There are so many deleted scenes. It was really hard for me to choose!

IN THIS SCENE...

Heather has just been poisoned with water from the Fountain of Youth and, being a magical substance, it is slowly making her lose her mind. Gabriel was put in charge of her safety at the cabin while the rest of Team Awesome prepared for their journey to find the fountain.

(I know this doesn't really fall in line with the final version of Avow, but just go with it.)

Enjoy! :)

***

Gabriel banged his head against the
wall and muttered, “I feel like I’m being punished.”

“You think of me as
punishment?” Heather’s face scrunch up into an almost-fit and Gabriel knew he
was screwed.

“Oh no. No. No," he said. "That’s not what I
meant. I meant—I meant—

Damn, what had he meant?

Heather broke into a wail, crying
unabashedly against his expensive comforter. Loudly. “You don’t like me. You
think I’m punishment.”

Tears and snot ran down her face
and he tried not to be disgusted at the sight. “No, no, no. Don’t cry.”

Dear god, don’t cry. I hate it when
she cries.
She sobbed even louder, shoving
her blonde face into his pillow dramatically. “Numph-mum-muph-mee.”

Gabriel was utterly helpless.
“What?”

She raised her face half an inch
and wailed, “Nobody likes me!”

“No. No, that’s not true. Hey.” He waited for the crying to calm, but the torrents of tears kept coming,
drenching her face—and his pillow—in a very boogery way. “Hey, now. Don’t cry. Uh…”

What do I do, what do I do?

Gabriel stood up and carefully
inched his way over to the crying time bomb of crazy. “Shh." He reached a hand out
to sooth her, but let it hover above her small back, not sure if he wanted to
make contact with the wet mess on his bed. “Shh, there-there.”

Since when did he say shit like
“there-there”?

Since Heather, dammit.

“You’re not punishment and
everybody likes you,” he said.

Hesitantly, he set his palm on her back—still shaking with
sobs—and rubbed it a little. It felt awkward and extremely uncomfortable.

Heather whipped her head around,
her eyes hard with fury and pure crazy. “Don’t pet me like a rabbit, Gabriel!
I’m not a rabbit! Do I look like a rabbit to you? Do I have fur on me? Look at
me! LOOK AT ME! Do I have fur?”

Scratch that. This felt awkward and
uncomfortable. “Uh…no?”

“Then don’t pet me like a farm
animal!”

“Okay.” No touching the crazy
chick.

That wouldn’t be a problem. Like
EVER.

Gabriel stepped back and stood over
the bed as she went back to crying. He was at a total loss. And his bedspread
was in need of a serious washing.

Eventually, Heather’s sobs turned
into quiet whimpers and then subsided all together. He thought she’d fallen
asleep and was about o make a vey quiet exit-- from his own damn room—when he
saw her slender arm reach up and start twirling a blonde curl.

Shit. The crazy wasn’t over yet.

She sighed happily, as if she
hadn’t just lost her mind and boogers on his bed, and said, “You know what I
think?”

No. Please, don’t tell me.

“I think,” she said. “That if I was
a bunny, I’d be pretty. Don’t you think so?”